Description
How to make comfort chicken pasta with smoky garlic butter and tender chicken that brings cozy restaurant flavors to your weeknight dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 12 oz penne pasta or your favorite shape
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, diced
Flavor Builders
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Seasonings & Finishing
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- Season Chicken: Pat chicken pieces dry and season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Toss until evenly coated and let sit while you prep other ingredients.
- Sear Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 5-6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove to plate.
- Build Sauce: Add remaining butter to same skillet. Sauté onion 3-4 minutes until softened, then add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant but not burned.
- Deglaze Pan: Pour in wine and scrape up any browned bits. Let simmer 2 minutes to cook off alcohol, then stir in cream and red pepper flakes.
- Combine Everything: Add cooked pasta, chicken, and Parmesan to sauce. Toss with pasta water as needed until creamy. Stir in parsley and lemon juice before serving.
Notes
- Don’t skip reserving pasta water; it’s essential for achieving the perfect creamy sauce consistency.
- Store leftovers in airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with splash of cream.
- Smoked paprika is key to the flavor profile; regular paprika won’t give the same depth.
- Fresh Parmesan melts better than pre-shredded and creates silkier sauce texture.
- Add lemon juice at the very end to prevent cream from curdling during cooking.
Allergy Information: Dairy, Gluten
Nutrition
- Calories: 485 calories
- Fat: 24g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Protein: 32g